The idea comes in the wake of several high-profile attacks last month in downtown Louisville and Waterfront Park.

There will be a work group with two metro council members, the Louisville Metro police chief and the president of the fraternal order of police. The group will also hire a consultant to look at whether Louisville needs more police officers.

On March 22, a mob of teens shoplifted and assaulted a store owner in downtown. A grandfather was also attacked on the Big Four Bridge that night and a mother was assaulted in front of her family.

The Metro Council's Public Safety Committee convened a special meeting after those attacks.

Dave Mutchler, president of the local fraternal order of the police, told them that Louisville is authorized to hire 1,280 officers, but only has 1,169.

"From our standpoint, if we're authorized to have 1,280 officers and that's what's been decided we need for our population, to keep the public safe, then we should be at that number," he said.

Dwight Mitchell, a Louisville Metro police spokesman, said he believed the number of officers was closer to 1,213, although he did not know how many of those officers were in training or in probationary status.

Mutchler believes all 1,280 officers should be out of training and able to serve on the streets before they can be counted as part of the department's "authorized strength," the term used to describe the maximum amount of officers LMPD can hire.

The last time the metro council set the authorized strength was when the city and county merged in 2003, said David James, who represents District 6.

James, a Democrat, is a one of the two council members on the work group, along with Republican Kelly Downard, who represents District 16. He is also co-chair of the council's public safety committee, which suggested forming the group and hiring the consultant.

Neither the cost of the consultant nor of any new officers is known yet, James said.

"The No. 1 responsibility of our government is the safety of its citizens, so that means that we will find the money," he said.

Spokespersons for the Democratic and Republican caucuses of the council both said party leaders are behind the move. They believe new officers can be added without raising taxes as the improving economy increases revenues for the city.

Louisville Metro Police declined to comment about the need for new officers, referring questions to the council.

Mayor Greg Fischer issued a statement, saying, “We are working closely with our police department and many others as we approach our next city budget to put the right resources in the right places."

The work group will meet sometime after Derby. A timeline for the consultant or the hiring of new officers hasn't been set.

LOUISVILLE IS LOOKING AT WHETHER IT SHOULD HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS TO KEEP THE STREETS SAFE. THE IDEA COMES IN THE WAKE OF SEVERAL HIGH- PROFILE ATTACKS - LAST MONTH - IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE AND WATERFRONT PARK. W-L-K-Y'S MARK VANDERHOFF TELLS US WHAT IS BEING DISCUSSED. THERE'LL BE A WORK GROUP WITH TWO METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE CHIEF AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE. THEY'LL ALSO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT WHETHER LOUISVILLE NEEDS MORE POLICE OFFICERS. IT WAS MARCH 22 WHEN A MOB OF TEENS COMMITTED SEVERAL ASSAULTS IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE AND THE WATERFRONT PARK. SOON AFTER, THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF THE POLICE TOLD METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS LOUISVILLE IS AUTHORIZED TO HIRE 1,280 OFFICERS - BUT ONLY HAS 1,169. NOW, METRO COUNCIL WANTS TO KNOW JUST HOW MANY OFFICERS THE CITY NEEDS. OFFICIALS DON'T YET KNOW THE COST OF THE CONSULTANT... OR THE COST OF THE NEW OFFICERS. LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE DECLINED TO COMMENT FOR THIS STORY. MAYOR FISCHER ISSUED A STATEMENT, SAYING, QUOTE, "...WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MANY OTHERS AS WE APPROACH OUR NEXT CITY BUDGET TO PUT THE RIGHT RESOURCES IN THE RIGHT PLACES." I TALKED TO SPOKES PEOPLE FOR BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CAUCUSES OF THE METRO COUNCIL AND THEY BOTH SAY THAT THEY'RE LEADERS ARE BEHIND BRINGING MORE OFFICERS TO LOUISVILLE. THEY'LL ALSO SAY THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FIND THE MONEY IN THE BUDGE, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE BUDGET OUTLOOK IS IMPROVING WITH THE IMPROVING ECONOMY. MARK VANDERHOFF, W-L- K-Y NEWS. THE WORK GROUP PLANS TO MEET SOME TIME AFTER DERBY. NO DATE HAS BEEN SET YET - AND THERE IS NO TIMELINE FOR WHEN A CONSULTANT MIGHT SUBMIT A REPORT OR NEW OFFICERS MIGHT BE